The average new car sold for more than $48,000 last month — almost $2,000 higher than a year before. Electric vehicle prices, however, are on the way down. The average EV sold for just over $55,000 — more than $10,000 lower than in the same month of April in 2022.
The EV market is in the midst of a price war. Tesla
TSLA,
has repeatedly cut prices on its least-expensive models — the Model 3 now starts at just $40,240 before federal tax incentives. Ford
F,
recently answered by slashing prices on its Mustang Mach-E.
Kia would like to play, too.
The South Korean automaker has cut the entry price on its gorgeous 2023 EV6 SUV. It accomplished the trick by bringing back an entry-level trim that seems to come and go from the Kia
000270,
lineup with some regularity.
See: The 2023 Kia EV6 vs. the Ford Mustang Mach-E: Neither is boring, both have attitude—which electric SUV is better?
Lower price, lower power, lower range
The EV6 Light gets by with a smaller battery and just one electric motor on the rear wheels. That gives it 167 horsepower and a range of 232 miles.
The model isn’t on Kia’s website yet. CarsDirect obtained a sticker price from a model on a dealer lot in California. It was listed at $42,600 plus a $1,325 destination fee. That’s over $6,000 below the Wind, the next higher trim.
A Kia spokesperson confirms the model is returning but says it will be sold only in Western states and produced in limited numbers. “Kia is following the market and other EVs sellers such as VW,” which now sells a limited-range model of its ID.4 EV, he says. “Kia is doing the same in the Western Region only. Customers who don’t require the longer range appreciate the value.”
See: The 2023 Kia EV6 vs. the VW ID.4: Two very different approaches to going electric
The EV6 Light, he says, will be available from dealers in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
It gives shoppers access to the fast charging times and sporty look of the EV6, with limited range and fine-around-town performance. Its 232-mile range keeps it from serving as a great road trip car. But if you’re looking for a flexible commuter car you enjoy looking at, the return of the EV6 Light is good news.
This story originally ran on KBB.com.
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